


Enter Apollo

by madaliz



Series: Shadow & Red Sun Series (KnB Superhero AU) [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 12:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2388401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madaliz/pseuds/madaliz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami and Kuroko, both still trying to find their footing as they learn to work as a team, return from a slightly botched mission to find an unexpected visitor that neither of them are happy about. </p><p>[no need to read the prequel to understand this, but some things might make more sense if you do]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enter Apollo

**Author's Note:**

> Meta/Metahuman = used here to refer to superpowered people
> 
> This fic will be edited again tomorrow or the day after for errors. Since I self-edit I tend to miss a lot of those.

It's not often that you'd find metas whose powers are simultaneously as breathtakingly beautiful and bone chillingly horrifying as Taiga Kagami's.

As he free falls from a tall building –- heat radiating from his entire body, his skin glowing red, eyes emitting bright white light, limbs struggling to fend off the hostile creature attempting to claw off his chest–- Kuroko finds it hard to look away.

Kagami resembles a meteor, both in appearance and in destructiveness. Time and time again he's recklessly (accidentally) let loose. He's all stunning beautiful colors and blinding light when he passes you one moment, but once he's out of sight your brain catches up with reality and you think about the damn big crater he's inevitably going to make once he's crashed down to earth. Awe is often replaced with dread. Kuroko honestly doesn't know how Kagami had survived without him.

He holds his hands up enveloping both Kagami and his adversary in an force field, slowing down their descent so that they land only with a soft, barely audible thump.

Immediately as they hit the ground however, Kagami grabs the creature's head and slams it onto the asphalt.

Kuroko sighs. So much for preventing damage to public property.

Mercifully the monster is at least now dead or unconscious. One less thing to worry about, Kuroko can hear the civilians who hadn't had the chance to evacuate exhale in relief.

“Mind your strength Kagami-kun.” he says reproachfully as he walks toward his new teammate.

 _Teammate_. How bizarre. Just a month ago Kuroko would never have thought he'd join another team of metas. The wounds from his time with the Miracles are still fresh, mending now, he thinks, thanks to the hope Kagami's allowed him to cling to. (hope, that is, to beat his old comrades at their own game)

Kagami does not grace him with a verbal reply. Instead he rolls his eyes and checks the being beneath him for signs of life. The creature managed to kill five people before Kagami and he had managed to catch up with it. He tries to will away the horrible thoughts of preferring it dead.

“President Aida,” Kuroko says into his communicator “we've captured the target. I think it might be dead.”

“No might about it,” Kagami grunts “it's dead, sorry boss.”

“Well,” says the voice on the other end of the line “I'm not happy but I can't say it wasn't within my expectations, not with Bakagami's shoddy control over his powers.”

President Riko Aida is _**the**_ Riko Aida of the Aida Corporation, a C level meta (a fallacious classification if Kuroko ever saw one), and more intelligent than any being who's ever walked this earth because of it. She's known far and wide as a shrewd and incredibly successful business woman, who is as generous in her philanthropy as she is ruthless in the boardroom. Her achievements in robotics, genetics,and microbiology famously paved way for and directly produced various breakthroughs in everything from medicine to metahuman studies.

She currently manages, much to the dismay of her board of directors (or so the magazine Kuroko had read the other day had claimed), a team of metas trained specifically to suppress escaped rampaging genetically engineered creatures of unidentified species, both of alien and earth origin. (“Specificity gives us focus!” she would remind them daily, omitting entirely the fact that only government contracted metas are legally permitted to suppress crime and other largely human caused and related disasters). The team has taken to (fondly) calling her “boss”, with the exception of Kuroko who cannot yet shake his habitual formality.

The day Kuroko had met Kagami in the alley, after the later had “saved” him from getting mugged by threatening his would-be assailant, was the day that he signed his name on the contract that would bind him to Riko Aida for life (or ten years at least, except in case of breach).

It was, as many of his decisions were at the time, done on impulse. Kagami, looking uncomfortable, had just brushed off the proposition he made the day they met (rightly so, in retrospect, seeing as Kuroko had embarrassingly jabbered on in an adrenaline high, albeit still in his cool, near monotonous manner), but Kuroko hadn't been willing to get brushed off and had followed him purposefully to his next destination (Aida Corporation's main headquarters, it turned out). He was (is) determined to enlist Kagami's help in his personal mission. Now they have fallen into an easy routine, and Kuroko's taking his time chipping away at whatever is keeping Kagami from agreeing.

“It's not _**shoddy**_.” Kagami replies indignantly “I'm just not used Tokyo, is all.”

“What, does L.A. meta-proof their roads or something?” President Aida snorts “Don't answer that. I don't want to know. It'll just frustrate me. They'd never let me do something so practical here, not when they're earning from me paying for damages.”

Neither Kuroko or Kagami say anything in reply, knowing by now how she could go on and on about her misgivings on the government's metahuman related policies (and the government in general). It was best, they knew, not to egg her on.

“Have Hyuuga-senpai and Izuki-senpai caught their target?” Kuroko asks instead.

“Yes, but their target is dead too.” she sighs, disappointed “Are these things that fragile? Or could you not find any other way to stop them from attacking any of you long enough to bring them back here?”

Kagami huffs in frustration “Is that a real question? Or are you just talking to yourself again?”

“How about I don't let you patrol for a week Kagami-kun?”

“What? No!” Kagami's eyes widen almost comically.

“It's little bit of both options President Aida,” Kuroko says, smiling slightly in amusement “this thing managed to push Kagami-kun off a building, but died without either of us using even a quarter of our strength.”

“Well,” says Riko “whatever the case bring it back here so I can give it an autopsy.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Carefully, Kuroko surrounds the carcass of the creature with an energy field, enclosing it in an invisible ball. As he lifts the body from the ground the indent Kagami made with it's head becomes visible.

“You didn't need to smash it's head against the ground.” he says, frowning at the damage. It isn't nearly as bad as it usually is, but it's still there, waiting for President Aida to pay for it's repair.

“I didn't mean to,” Kagami grunts “it's just, sometimes when I get going I just–” he clenches his hands into fists and stares at them as if they confuse him “Instinct just takes over, I felt like, it was either it or me. I completely forgot you were even there, didn't even register that we didn't crash land as hard as we probably should have.”

Kagami, despite what he tells President Aida, _**does**_ in fact have shoddy control over some of his powers. “ _I've been a meta for only a year,”_ he had said, “ _at first it was just the heat_ _and light_ _thing,_ _then I got the super strength, enhanced senses..._ _It's all coming faster than I can manage to learn to control them._ _”_

“You need to learn to control your strength more.” says Kuroko “I will admit that I thought the creature was only rendered unconscious, it didn't seem that weak.”

“I managed to hold back last minute,” which explained the smaller than usual damage to the asphalt “didn't do any good.” Kagami's frown makes it apparent how unhappy he is with himself.

Kuroko thinks it better not to comment, instead he says “Shall I fly us back or do you feel comfortable using your speed?”

Kagami's superhuman speed is a new development, discovered only last week. He's been getting better at it with practice but he was still, naturally, rough around the edges with it.

“You should fly it back,” he says “Don't want to destroy the specimen. I'll run back though, for practice.”

“Alright.” Kuroko replies, wrapping a force field around himself and levitating off the ground.

There is a slight awkwardness still, in their interactions. Kagami seems to respect his abilities, but is wary of his intentions. The proposition Kuroko had given upon their first meeting is probably fresh and persistent in his mind. While Kuroko would like their relationship to be more comfortable over time, he can't deny that his words haunting Kagami is almost exactly what he wanted. It gives the impression that he will, sooner or later, come around. Kuroko can wait. He has time and patience.

He enters their headquarters at the main Aida Corporation building from the rooftop, and finds Kagami has already beaten him there.

“You've got a visitor,” says Kagami sounding incredibly annoyed, hair still messy from the run “boss is keeping him busy.”

Kuroko quirks an eyebrow at him but says nothing, and heads for President Aida's office. On the way he greets his senior teammates and hands the specimen over to a lab assistant. The time it took to do these things is enough for him to figure out who exactly his mystery visitor is. Hearing the familiar laugh from outside President Aida's office door confirms his suspicions.

He knocks on the door before entering “Excuse me,” he says, eyes trained on President Aida, studiously avoiding the gaze of the person across her “I was told that you were entertaining a visitor of mine.”

President Aida silently gestures towards the other person in the room, confusion slowly creeping up on her teasing smile.

“You're so mean Kurokocchi,” says the man in front of her desk “ignoring me when we haven't seen each other in so long.”

Ryouta Kise, government contracted metahuman, code named: Apollo, an A level meta, shapeshifter, and able to temporarily replicate other metas' powers after a single touch. Model, actor, presently on a metahuman team connected with the intelligence sectors of the government. A former member of the 'Miracles', and thus a former teammate of Kuroko's. Not a person he was raring to see.

“ _I guess it was only a matter of time before they found me,”_ Kuroko thinks _“considering I've started regularly using my powers again.”_

“I was really shocked when you disappeared you know,” Kise continues, looking, to his credit, genuinely upset “when I saw your name on one of the documents I'd happened to read for my last job I was shocked.”

Kuroko knows it's a jab at going corporate, Kise never did like private sector funded meta teams. He knows he's expected to take the bait. He won't. Instead he goes straight to the point.

“Why are you here Kise-kun?”

“Aren't you being a little cold? Not even a hi? Hello?”

Kuroko stares at him impassively. He looks much too comfortable in his seat and his finely tailored suit. His hair is swept back and several shades darker than what Kuroko knows is his natural color. His nose is artfully crooked, bent in such a way that makes it look like it had been a painful experience but not made to look so grotesque as to take away from the handsomeness of Kise's face. In fact it's almost an asset adding to his good looks, as are the scars strategically littered across his face neck and hands. His face is still his own, but he looks like he's playing a role. Seeing as how he's currently in the intelligence business, Kuroko guesses, with much effort to hold in a laugh, that the role is James Bond.

Across Kise, President Aida seems to be observing their exchange with barely contained excitement, Kuroko suspects she's holding herself back from interjecting. He almost wishes she would.

After a tense moment of silence, Kise sighs “Fine,” he says “straight to the point then.” he runs a hand through his hair “I want you to join my team.”

Kuroko bows respectfully, not missing a beat “I'm sorry. I cannot.” he looks Kise in the eye “And if you can't understand why I'm doing this, I'm sorry again, but I won't change my mind.”

Kise bites his lower lip visibly displeased “There was a man out there in the hall,” he begins carefully “red hair, ridiculous eyebrows, physique like Aominecchi's.”

“Kagami-kun?” says Kuroko, frowning at the last comparison (though he'd thought of it before as well).

“He's on the government watch list, an A level meta.” says Kise “American citizen, appeared on the Los Angeles City government's list of metahumans less than a year ago as codename: Red Sun, apparently they missed his dormant meta genes when he was born. Interestingly he was also formerly engaged in vigilantism.”

“And so?”

“And so I think it's hardly a coincidence that you disappear for months and then reappear next to the only A level meta in the entire country aside from myself and the other Miracles.”

“You're right it isn't,” best he thinks, to be candid “and I'm sorry but it's none of your business. I'd prefer to stay here.”

Kise sighs again “Well I can see that you won't be changing your mind about that any time soon. Consider it a warning though, not a threat, we both know that's not going to come from me, if it ever does.”

Kuroko frowns. He knows Kise doesn't miss it, but his ex-teammate doesn't comment on his reaction, he turns to President Aida with a smile “I'll take my leave, thank you for having me.”

“It was no trouble.” replies President Aida, who no doubt had made several very correct conclusions from the contents of their conversation, judging by the wide smile she gives Kise in return. “Could you please show Kise-kun out Kuroko?”

Kuroko nods in ascent and opens the door for Kise, who gives another sunny goodbye to President Aida on the way out.

“How do you plan to travel?” asks Kuroko once they've stepped out “So I know which exit to take you to.”

“I still have one of my superior's powers for oh–” Kise looks at his watch “around ten minutes. He's a speedster, I think I'll get there on time.”

“On foot then.” Kuroko grunts “We'll take the elevator to the lobby.”

On the way down the hall towards the elevators they run into Kagami who's changed out of the black suit their team wears on missions, and into loose fitting jeans and a black tank top.

Kagami regards Kise warily, and Kise returns the look with a small smug smile. To both Kuroko and Kagami's surprise, Kise transforms and his entire body glistens gold. Gold colored form fitting swimsuit-like shorts made of thin fabric covers his lower body but his calves, feet and everything else are bare. This, Kuroko knows, is the form in which Kise was born.

Once the surprise subsides, Kuroko becomes aware of the heat radiating from behind him and of his own literal invisibility. Making himself visible again, flushing a little at his reaction, he turns to find that Kagami has gone defensive, skin a familiar burning red for a second time that day, stance indicating a readiness to fight. He had enough presence of mind at least, not to burn his clothes off.

“He's just peacocking Kagami-kun,” says Kuroko “please stop using your powers.”

Kagami shoots Kise another suspicious look before letting himself cool down to his normal temperature.

“Ryouta Kise,” says Kise, holding a hand out “nice to meet you Taiga Kagami-san.”

Kagami glares at his hand and doesn't take it.

“Did you tell him about my powers Kurokocchi?” Kise sounds strangely delighted at the idea.

“I don't talk about you.” says Kuroko.

“So cold-hearted.” replies Kise, shedding a couple of crocodile tears.

“I thought you only had your superior's powers for ten more minutes.”

“Yes, right.” Kise shifts back into the form he'd used to enter the building, suit and scars and all “I'll be seeing you both.” and before Kuroko can stop him, he's gone.

“Probably dashed down the emergency staircase,” Kagami grumbles after a moment “let's just hope he didn't snoop around while he was at it.”

Kuroko nods in agreement “There is nothing here he can use against us that he didn't already know at least, unless of course President Aida's been hiding something.”

“He an ex-teammate? From that team 'Miracles' you were talking about?”

This is the first time Kagami's ever brought up anything Kuroko mentioned during their first meeting. Kuroko knows his surprise shows on his face.

“Yes.” he says, sounding a little winded.

“Does he believe in that metahuman superiority crap you were talking about?”

Kuroko clenches his jaw. “To a large extent, but I think he's the most changeable, of all the former Miracles.”

Kagami grunts “He's pretty cocky for someone new to the business though, makes this face like he's better than everyone.”

That startles a small laugh out of him “They're all like that.” 

“Right. So I was thinking.” Kagami clears his throat “That I might say yes to your proposition.”

Kuroko's eyes widen slightly “Really?”

“If they're all like that, A levels who think regular humans are not worth their time, it'd be pretty bad for civilians wouldn't it? I guess I'm just saying, I see your point.”

“I'm glad you do.” he smiles as he says it, taking care to let his face show his gratitude.

He doesn't say anything further, until Kagami gives him an expectant look and says “So do you have any plans?”

Kuroko's eyes widen for a moment at the surprising enthusiasm, before he smiles and says, in a low conspiratory whisper: “I do.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> (1) Further explanation of the "levels" of metas referred to here: as you might have inferred, metas are ranked by the strength of their abilities and the number "metagenes" in their blood over regular human genes. Every child born with metagenes is automatically registered by the government in an official list as E level metas. All those with metagenes are required to have their blood tested every year to determine if their rank will be raised. 
> 
> (2) On Kise's "superior" -- it's Kasamatsu, I'll probably do a Kise+Kasamatsu centric story next haha.
> 
> (3) Kagami's powers: In the previous fic in this series, I mentioned in the end notes that I imagine Kagami's powers are like 90s era Superboy and Young Justice animated series' Superboy. I maintain that, but he's only now slowly developing these powers. He does not develop heat vision but in it's place is this thing where he glows red and radiates heat that I've described here. (it's the reason why he's called Red Sun). 
> 
> (4) Kuroko's powers: Kuroko's powers are the same as I originally envisioned them, a mix of Shadowcat (from the X-men) and Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four
> 
> (5) Kise's powers: were inspired by Mystique and Rogue's (both from the X-men) powers.


End file.
